Penn State Welcomes in Top 5 Class
If you’re a Penn State fan, you likely already know that Wednesday was Signing Day, the day on which recruits and verbal commits ink their decision to become Nittany Lions.
This year, Penn State signed so many stellar recruits that the Blue and White were ranked as having the fourth best recruiting class in the country, behind Texas, Ohio State and Georgia. Alabama was ranked eighth and Washington, who Penn State will face in the Fiesta Bowl, was ranked tenth.
Head Coach James Franklin noted that he was pleased with the way Signing Day turned out, and that he’s excited for the progress that is yet to come.
“I just like the progress that we're making, really, in all areas. We just kind of keep chipping away at it and keep working,” said Franklin. “The development of our current players, what we're doing academically, what we're doing on the football field in terms of being successful on the football field, two undefeated seasons at home, back-to-back, hasn't happened in 31 years.”
The Lions inked a variety of impressive players from all over the country this past week. Some of the signees were ones Penn State has had relationships with since the peak of their high school careers.
One such recruit is Micah Parsons, a defensive end from Harrisburg who stands at 6’3 and 245 pounds. Parsons is a 5-star recruit who recorded 17.5 tackles for loss in 2017. He was the top-ranked defensive end in Pennsylvania and the fourth in the country.
Parsons was also heavily recruited by Oklahoma State, but made the right choice and stuck with the Blue and White.
Jahan Dotson, a 5’11 wide receiver from Nazareth, Pennsylvania also solidified his commitment to State this past week.
Dotson was a surprise commit, as he flipped his commitment to UCLA on Signing Day and became a Nittany Lion.
Dotson is the fifth-ranked wide receiver in Pennsylvania, and rated as a four-star recruit by 247 sports.
Another Pennsylvania recruit, Frederick “Juice” Scruggs, joined the Penn State family. This offensive guard stands at 6’3 and 270 pounds and is a four-star recruit.
Scruggs is the ninth-ranked OG in Pennsylvania and had interest from schools like Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.
The Lions also secured two more recruits who hold the number-one rankings in their respective states.
Pat Freiermuth of Merrimac, Massachusetts, is the top tight end in the state. The 6’5 offensive player had offers from Boston College, Duke and Michigan, but always showed loyalty to Penn State.
Justin Shorter, a wide receiver from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, also holds the top spot in his state.
Shorter has been committed to the Lions since 2016, and he is a great get for the Blue and White. Shorter’s 40-yard dash at the Nike Opening Regional Camp in New Jersey this past year was clocked at 4.52 seconds.
Coach Franklin summed up the day by saying: “So making progress. We're still not where we want to be. But we are making progress in those types of areas,” said Coach Franklin. “I'm really proud of all the hard work that went in from the coaches and the support staff off the field, and really our current players.”
Next up – the Fiesta Bowl on December 30th. How many of our Nittany Lion fans plan on heading to sunny Arizona for the game? Let’s go, Lions!
This year, Penn State signed so many stellar recruits that the Blue and White were ranked as having the fourth best recruiting class in the country, behind Texas, Ohio State and Georgia. Alabama was ranked eighth and Washington, who Penn State will face in the Fiesta Bowl, was ranked tenth.
Head Coach James Franklin noted that he was pleased with the way Signing Day turned out, and that he’s excited for the progress that is yet to come.
“I just like the progress that we're making, really, in all areas. We just kind of keep chipping away at it and keep working,” said Franklin. “The development of our current players, what we're doing academically, what we're doing on the football field in terms of being successful on the football field, two undefeated seasons at home, back-to-back, hasn't happened in 31 years.”
The Lions inked a variety of impressive players from all over the country this past week. Some of the signees were ones Penn State has had relationships with since the peak of their high school careers.
One such recruit is Micah Parsons, a defensive end from Harrisburg who stands at 6’3 and 245 pounds. Parsons is a 5-star recruit who recorded 17.5 tackles for loss in 2017. He was the top-ranked defensive end in Pennsylvania and the fourth in the country.
Parsons was also heavily recruited by Oklahoma State, but made the right choice and stuck with the Blue and White.
Jahan Dotson, a 5’11 wide receiver from Nazareth, Pennsylvania also solidified his commitment to State this past week.
Dotson was a surprise commit, as he flipped his commitment to UCLA on Signing Day and became a Nittany Lion.
Dotson is the fifth-ranked wide receiver in Pennsylvania, and rated as a four-star recruit by 247 sports.
Another Pennsylvania recruit, Frederick “Juice” Scruggs, joined the Penn State family. This offensive guard stands at 6’3 and 270 pounds and is a four-star recruit.
Scruggs is the ninth-ranked OG in Pennsylvania and had interest from schools like Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.
The Lions also secured two more recruits who hold the number-one rankings in their respective states.
Pat Freiermuth of Merrimac, Massachusetts, is the top tight end in the state. The 6’5 offensive player had offers from Boston College, Duke and Michigan, but always showed loyalty to Penn State.
Justin Shorter, a wide receiver from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, also holds the top spot in his state.
Shorter has been committed to the Lions since 2016, and he is a great get for the Blue and White. Shorter’s 40-yard dash at the Nike Opening Regional Camp in New Jersey this past year was clocked at 4.52 seconds.
Coach Franklin summed up the day by saying: “So
Next up – the Fiesta Bowl on December 30th. How many of our Nittany Lion fans plan on heading to sunny Arizona for the game? Let’s go, Lions!
